Oil pollution in the Kerch Strait after the “Volgoneft” tanker accident in December 2024
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Abstract
In December 2024, up to 4,000 tons of petroleum products entered the marine environment of the Kerch Strait as a result of an accident involving two tankers carrying fuel oil. Considering intensive shipping in the region and chronic hydrocarbon (HC) loading there, the task of determining the extent of pollution and assessing the state of waters has become urgent. The aim of this study was to evaluate the qualitative and quantitative composition of HC in the Kerch Strait waters after the accident. Sampling was carried out in spring 2025 during the 134th cruise of the RV “Professor Vodyanitsky.” HC and n-alkane concentrations were determined by gas chromatography. Physicochemical parameters of waters were also assessed (pH, Eh, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and salinity). HC content ranged 0.01 to 0.27 mg·L−1, with maximum permissible concentration (0.05 mg·L−1) exceeded at 6 stations out of 13. The highest values were recorded in the pre-strait area of the Black Sea. At stations with elevated HC levels, signs of biodegraded oil pollution were recorded. Physicochemical parameters of waters remained within normal limits. The distribution of n-alkanes and HC composition evidence for actively occurring self-purification processes.
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References
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